Shaping and pressing means for knife pleats



May 2, i6? M. A. HARNY 3,316,667

SHAPING AND PRESSING MEANS FOR KNIFE PLEATS Filed Oct. 29, 1965 D i wry A Hwy INVENTOR. V 'v A United States Patent Ofi 3,316,667 Patented May 2, 1967 ice 3,316,667 SHAPING AND PRESSZNG MEANS FOR KNIFE PLEATS Mary A. Harny, Rte. 4, Box 204, Astoria, Oreg. 97103 Filed Oct. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 505,607 2 Claims. (Cl. 38-108) This invention relates, broadly construed, to an ironing board and portable manually usable means thereon and cooperable with the top of the ironing board and which enables the user to orderly and effectively arrange knife pleats in a skirt and neatly press the same in a time and labor saving manner.

As can be fully appreciated, when one is faced with the job of laying out and pressing narrow knife pleats in one (usually more than one) skirt and is pressed for time the task is arduous indeed. The problem thus posed has paved the way for the bringing into being of feasible means, a simple and practical device, which can be brought into play and which, when properly handled, greatly aids the user and solves the problem.

To the ends desired the device which has been adopted and which is herein disclosed is mechanical and manually usable. It is light in weight, portable, readily applicable and removable, is compact and convenient, is easy to apply and remove, insures good results and is accordingly suitable and well adapted to serve the needed purposes.

Briefly, the invention is characterized by one or more (usually six or more) elongated slat-like stainless steel or equivalent pleat abutting and pressing arms oriented in side-by-side relationship and hingedly and adjustably mounted on a common support member, for example, a simple rod of a length greater than the width of the ironing board. This rod is laid across the top of the ironing board with its end portions projecting beyond and overhanging the margins of the board and is located rearwardly of and parallel to the skirts hemline. Thus assembled the arms can be pivoted and swung singly and collectively to and from their pleat layout and pressing positions.

More specifically, the preferred embodiment of the invention has to do with a portable shaping and pressing device or apparatus for knife pleats, the same comprising the aforementioned elongated rod which accommodatingly anchors a plurality of pleat pressing arms which can, if desired, be hingedly linked by rings or the like to the rod to provide the desired pivoting and adjusting coaction. The forward ends of the arms are free. These arms have flat top and bottom surfaces and straight spaced parallel longitudinal marginal edges so that a selected edge is thus adapted to abut the fold or crease of the pleat with which it is cooperable. The pleat can then be folded down by hand and against the top surface of the arm, straightened suitably and then pressed with an iron. The arms are normally in a rearward out of-the-way position atop the ironing board and can be selectively and collectively swung forward and used in a systematic and progressive manner to achieve the desired end result with ease and expediency.

The overhanging or projecting end portions are provided with heavier or thicker arms which constitute holddown weights and which are suspended outwardly of the edges of the board and function to balance the rod to minimize accidental displacement.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter de scribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a conventional ironing board, a pleated skirt positioned thereon for pressing needs and the apparatus or device, constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, in a position ready for use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view with parts in section and elevation and which shows the essential components or parts of the device and which further shows two arms in pleat pressing position, one arm to the right in an elevated position, and one arm to the left in an out-of-the-way position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view with parts in section taken on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

And FIG. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the manner of using the shaping and pressing arms to the left.

Referring now to the views of the drawing with the aid of reference numerals, it will be seen that the ironing board, which is conventional, is denoted atA and the pleated skirt, which is fitted over the end of the ironing board, at B. The pleats are conveniently denoted at C and the fold or crease of the pleat is denoted at D. As is evident from the views of the drawing, the pleats under consideration are so-called relatively narrow knife pleats. The top surface of the ironing board on which the'device is placed is denoted at E.

The device itself is lightweight, portable, easy to apply and remove and is a self-contained structure which well serves the purposes for which it has been perfected. The support member is preferably in the form of an elongated cylindrical rod 6 (FIG. 2). This rod is, when in use, laid transversely or crosswise of the top surface E and is of a length greater than the width whereby the respective end portions 8 project beyond and overhang the edges of the board. Terminal heads 10 are provided and constitute limit stops. All of the slat-like shaping and pressing arms are the same in construction and a description of one will suifice for all. Each arm is denoted at 12 and is rectangular in cross-section, suitably elongated (onehalf inch by twenty-six inches). It has a flat top surface 14 and a flat bottom surface 16 (FIG. 3). The lengthwise marginal edges are linearly straight as at 18 and 20. The rearward end portions 22 are provided with apertures or holes 24 which serve to accommodate assembling rings or equivalent links 26. These rings are amply large to freely embrace the rod in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3 and this arrangement provides the desired hinge connection and also allows the thus constructed arms to he slid or adjusted lengthwise along the rod for quick individual and selective use. The straight edges 18 and 20 are of the utmost in significance. Then, too, the weight of the stainless steel or equivalent metal is highly important. This weight factor holds the pleat in place without requiring the use of clamps. Each arm is of a degree of thickness which is capable of maintaining the given shape of the arm. On the other hand, the thickness measurement is such that when the arms are used in the manner shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, undesirable press marks are eliminated. The hinge connection is necessary for individual and collective use purposes and also to permit the latlike arms to be folded to an out-of-the-way position atop the rearward end of the ironing board as shown at the right in FIG. 1.

The pairs of suspended elongated bars on the end portions 8 and denoted at 28 constitute holddown weights and are completely away from the edges of the board and function in maintaining the position of the rod and in balancing the same and arms when the device is being positioned for use or is being used.

In practice, the guiding edge 18 of each arm or slat is positioned against the crease D of the foldable pleat C as shown in dotted lines at the right in FIG. 4. It can be thus fitted snugly inside the pleat and firmly abuts the flush crease. All that is necessary is to pull the pleat from the top to insure that the slat or arm is correctly in place. The user can set up as many pleats as desired and the surplus arms or slats can be hung at the sides of the ironing board to provide additional holddown weights if desired.

The fact that the arms or slats are adjustably and pivotally ringed to the rod makes this apparatus unique in that it is adaptable to any number of arrangements of pleats and also size. When the arms are in proper position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 the pressing job can be readily and satisfactorily accomplished. It may be desirable after each pleat is pressed to swing the arm up over and out of the way and to press again without the arm inasmuch as this insures best results. It will be clear therefore that the mode of use of the invention is quite clear and good results are attainable after trial and error practice.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pleat pressing aid comprising an elongated rod adapted to extend transversely across the upper surface of an ironing board, a plurality of arms adapted to extend longitudinally of the top surface of the ironing board and be received in pleats in a garment placed on the ironing board in order to shape the pleats when being pressed, means connecting one end of each of said arms to said rod for free pivotal movement of the arms about the longitudinal axis of the rod, longitudinal sliding adjustment of the arms along the length of the rod and limited rotational adjustment of the arms about substantially the longitudinal axis of the arms to enable the arms to be positioned in pleats in a garment placed on an ironing board, each of said arms being elongated and of rectangular cross-section through the length thereof and provided with parallel side edges and parallel fiat top and bottom surfaces, the other end of each of said arms being free to facilitate placement thereof in pleats in a garment placed on an ironing board,

2. A pleat pressing aid comprising an elongated rod adapted to extend transversely across the upper surface of an ironing board, a plurality of arms adapted to extend longitudinally of the top surface of the ironing board and be received in pleats in a garment placed on the ironing board in order to shape the pleats when being pressed, means connecting one end of each of said arms to said rod for free pivotal movement of the arms about the longitudinal axis of the rod, longitudinal sliding adjustment of the arms along the length of the rod and limited rotational adjustment of the arms about substantially the longitudinal axis of the arms to enable the arms to be positioned in pleats in a garment placed on an ironing board, each of said arms being elongated and of rectangular cross-section throughout the length thereof and provided with parallel side edges and parallel flat top and bottom surfaces, the other end of each of said arms being free to facilitate placement thereof in pleats in a garment placed on an ironing board, said means connecting one end of each of said arms to said rod including a ring encircling the rod and having an internal diameter substantially greater than the external diameter of the rod, each arm having an aperture adjacent one end thereof receiving said ring with the arm being movable in an arcuate swinging path around the ring, the ring and arm being movable longitudinally of the rod by sliding movement thereof, and the arm being rotatable to a limited extent generally about its longitudinal axis to enable the angular orientation thereof to be varied by twisting the arm and ring in relation to the rod.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 669,743 3/1901 Eder 22333 1,217,874 2/1917 Matthews et a1. 223-33 1,386,180 8/1921 Knaur 22333 FOREIGN PATENTS 283,779 1/1928 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PLEAT PRESSING AID COMPRISING AN ELONGATED ROD ADAPTED TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE UPPER SURFACE OF AN IRONING BOARD, A PLURALITY OF ARMS ADAPTED TO EXTEND LONGITUDINALLY OF THE TOP SURFACE OF THE IRONING BOARD AND BE RECEIVED IN PLEATS IN A GARMENT PLACED ON THE IRONING BOARD IN ORDER TO SHAPE THE PLEATS WHEN BEING PRESSED, MEANS CONNECTING ONE END OF EACH OF SAID ARMS TO SAID ROD FOR FREE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE ARMS ABOUT THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE ROD, LONGITUDINAL SLIDING ADJUSTMENT OF THE ARMS ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE ROD AND LIMITED ROTATIONAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE ARMS ABOUT SUBSTANTIALLY THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE ARMS TO ENABLE THE ARMS TO BE POSITIONED IN PLEATS IN A GARMENT PLACED ON AN IRONING BOARD, EACH OF SAID ARMS BEING ELONGATED AND OF RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION THROUGH THE LENGTH THEREOF AND PROVIDED WITH PARALLEL SIDE EDGES AND PARALLEL FLAT TOP AND BOTTOM SURFACES, THE OTHER END OF EACH OF SAID ARMS BEING FREE TO FACILITATE PLACEMENT THEREOF IN PLEATS IN A GARMENT PLACED ON AN IRONING BOARD. 